ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. drill — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. key — the most important part
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wax — to grow
  17. hand — in cards
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. key — in music
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com